Part of the fun of toy model trains is being able to build the scenery around them. When the time comes that you get tired of setting up the toy model train set around the Christmas tree and storing it away when Christmas passes every year, you may want to thing about building yourself something more permanent.

The benchwork is the foundation of your railroad. Model Train enthusiasts have the choice of buying a ready-made benchwork or constructing one from scratch for themselves. Buying a benchwork kit has several advantages. Benchwork kits are precut and predrilled. Plus they are sturdier then a piece of plywood on two sawhorses. Also, with a kit, you can take it apart to move it to a different location in the house or to bring it to shows.

Of course building your own benchwork is more complicated and takes more time but, you have the opportunity to achieve your perfect vision for your trains. The first thing you will have to do is to create a design for your layout. You’ll have to figure out how large you want your benchwork to be. Consider if you will be adding on to it later on down the road. How much room in your house do you have to place a train layout? What shape are you devising for the top or your benchwork? It can be oval, square, circular or rectangle. Generally, the legs of the table are 28 inches but they can be modified to meet your designs specs. The most important thing in benchworking is making sure that your benchwork is solid and can withstand a certain amount of weight. A good platform is a 3/8 inch or